Limitations of introducing folk music into schools.

(Baonghean.vn) - The program for teaching and singing folk songs on Nghe An radio and television was only implemented from 1999 to 2005 before being stopped for the following reasons: The program and curriculum for teaching singing on radio and television lacked thorough investment, scientific rigor, and completeness.

Therefore, the program was completed in just 5 years. This was due to a lack of close and synchronized coordination between the three sectors: Culture, Education and Training, and the Radio and Television Station. Funding for the program was not adequately invested. To meet the needs of the people and the school system in the province, the program for teaching folk songs on radio and television was restarted in November 2011, a collaborative effort between the Radio and Television Station and the Center for Preserving and Promoting the Folk Song Heritage of Nghe An Province. According to the contract between the two parties, one program, lasting 25 minutes, is broadcast monthly, with funding provided jointly by the provincial station and the Center, with the radio and television station contributing 2/3 of the cost.

A performance at the 2nd Nghe An Province School Folk Song Singing Contest.

In building an environment for folk singing in Nghe An over the years, noteworthy results have been achieved. However, a reality that needs attention is that the folk singing environment has only manifested itself in a grassroots manner through performances on amateur stages, at festivals, competitions, and club activities, while folk songs have not yet been expressed in the diverse aspects of everyday life.

How can folk songs be present in all aspects of people's lives, becoming an integral part of their cultural life? The program of teaching folk songs on television and introducing folk songs into schools, in our opinion, still faces certain limitations and difficulties. Students today are not enthusiastic about folk songs; there is a significant gap in the understanding of Nghe Tinh folk songs among young people. Many children don't know a single folk song, many young mothers don't know how to sing lullabies using folk songs, and children don't know how to sing nursery rhymes. Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoan, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Department of Education and Training, stated: “The quality of teaching folk songs in schools is still limited due to limited funding for the program, limited recording and filming facilities for illustrative purposes, and a scarcity of highly qualified folk song teachers. Some schools teach and learn folk songs primarily for competition and to achieve results, rather than making it a regular requirement…”

To give Nghe An folk songs more vitality, spread widely, take deep root in people's lives, and ultimately become an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, relevant sectors need to overcome the aforementioned limitations; continue to build a synchronized and regular environment for folk song performance through the creation and performance of folk songs at the grassroots level; and further improve the quality of the Folk Song Teaching Program in schools. Special preferential policies are needed for artisans and artists who still preserve traditional folk songs, encouraging them to pass them on to the younger generation.

Polish dance